Toubkal Summit Trek in 2 Days from Marrakech
- Duration
- 2 Days / 1 Nights
- Tour category
- Mountain Tours
- Availability
- Year-round. Winter dates may be limited by weather and trail conditions.
- Languages
- English, French, Spanish
North Africa's highest summit inside a single weekend. Mules take the bags, a licensed guide takes the route, and you take the last stretch to 4,167 m.
About this tour
North Africa's highest summit inside a single weekend. Mules take the bags, a licensed guide takes the route, and you take the last stretch to 4,167 m.
Tour highlights
- Mules and their handlers carry the luggage, leaving you with a daypack
- The top of Mount Toubkal, 4,167m and the highest point in North Africa, which you get to at dawn with the view running a full 360 degrees
- A licensed mountain guide, required by law, and the guides here work in two languages
- Nothing technical about the ascent: a hard hike, but no ropes, no ladders and no mountaineering skill needed
- Every meal covered on the trek: Day 1 brings lunch and then dinner, Day 2 breakfast and then lunch
- The Ait Mizane Valley and its Berber villages on the way up, with a pause at the pilgrimage shrine of Sidi Chamarouch
- A night at 3,207m in a mountain refuge, in dormitory beds, with meals eaten communally
- Open all year, on dry trails in summer and on snow in winter, when crampons become compulsory
Route at a glance
2 Days / 1 Nights · Toubkal National Park → High Atlas Mountains
- Toubkal National Park
- High Atlas Mountains
About this tour
Two days to put you on top of Mount Toubkal at 4,167m, the highest ground in North Africa, beginning with a road transfer out of Marrakech to Imlil, the Berber village at 1,740m inside Toubkal National Park. Day 1 walks 5 to 6 hours, roughly 15km of it, up the Ait Mizane Valley, through Aremd village and past the shrine at Sidi Chamarouch (2,310m), finishing at the mountain refuge at 3,207m where the night is spent in a dormitory.
Day 2 starts before first light with a 3 to 4 hour push up the south cirque across scree and boulder, allows about 45 minutes at the top, then descends the whole way to Imlil for the drive back to Marrakech, 9 to 11 hours all in. It is a hard walk rather than a climb: no ropes, no ladders and no mountaineering skill are asked of you in summer.
From November through to April, crampons and an ice axe become compulsory. The price takes in the air-conditioned transfer both ways, a licensed bilingual mountain guide as the law requires, mules to carry your luggage, the refuge night, all four meals on the trek and your mineral water.
Day by day itinerary
Print this itinerary-
Day 01
Day 1 of 2
Marrakech to Imlil (1,740m) to Sidi Chamarouch to Toubkal Refuge (3,207m)
Day one: up the valley to the refuge
The drive: an early pickup at your Marrakech hotel, then about 1.5 hours south over the Haouz Plain and through Asni village to Imlil at 1,740m, the way into Toubkal National Park. Your licensed mountain guide waits here, along with the mule team taking charge of your main bag.
On foot: the path leads up the Ait Mizane Valley between terraced fields and walnut groves, with Berber villages holding the hillsides above. The path runs through Aremd village, crosses the river and climbs to the shrine at Sidi Chamarouch (2,310m), a place of pilgrimage next to a waterfall. Lunch is a picnic here, with the valley below you.
The night: the ascent steepens over rocky ground, altitude adding up steadily, until you reach the mountain refuge at 3,207m. Beds are in a dormitory. Dinner is eaten there.-
Trekking 5-6 hours. Ascent +1,467m. Around 15km.
-
Night in a refuge dormitory.
-
-
Day 02
Day 2 of 2
Refuge (3,207m) to Summit (4,167m) to Refuge to Imlil to Marrakech
Day two: the summit push and the long way down
Total 9-11 hours. Ascent +960m. Descent -2,427m. Around 13km. Summit at dawn.
The push: breakfast at 5:30 AM and away in the dark. The line takes the south cirque and crosses a stream just above the refuge, then works up through scree and boulder fields. The walking itself is uncomplicated. What makes it hard is the altitude and the loose rock underfoot. In winter you are on packed snow and ice, with crampons and axe in use. After 3 to 4 hours of steady work you top the ridge and step onto the summit plateau.
The top: 4,167 metres. The highest ground in North Africa, and a triangular summit pyramid marks it. The view goes all the way round, the High Atlas and the Marrakech plain to the north, the Anti-Atlas and the fringe of the Sahara to the south, snowy ridges east and west. You get about 45 minutes up there. In winter that time is cut short, as camera batteries die quickly in the cold.
The way down: back down to the refuge for lunch, and then the whole descent to Imlil, along the same route past Sidi Chamarouch and down the valley. Your driver is waiting at Imlil for the transfer to Marrakech, where you arrive in the early evening.
What's included
Included
- Air-conditioned transfer from Marrakech to Imlil and back again
- A licensed mountain guide who works in two languages
- Mule support to carry your luggage
- One night at the Toubkal mountain refuge, in the dormitory
- Every meal on the trek: lunch and dinner on the first day, breakfast and lunch on the second
- Mineral water while trekking
Not included
- Your own hiking gear, which can be hired in Imlil
- Winter kit, meaning crampons and an ice axe, hired at roughly EUR 5/day each
- Snacks and anything else personal
- Optional tips for your guide and the mule team
- Travel insurance, which is recommended
What to bring
- Summer: boots for hiking, layers, a warm fleece, a waterproof, sun protection, a headlamp and a water bottle
- Winter adds: thermal layers, an insulated jacket, gaiters, goggles, crampons and an ice axe
- Most of this kit can be hired in Imlil
Good to know
Price per person by group size: 1 person EUR 360; 2 people EUR 220; 3 people EUR 180; 4 people EUR 160; 5 people EUR 150; 6 people EUR 140; 7-9 people EUR 135; 10-13 people EUR 130; 14-17 people EUR 125
Prices verified March 2026
Beyond the solo and small-group steps above, no supplement is published
Altitudes: 4,167m at the summit, 3,207m at the refuge, 1,740m at Imlil
Fitness: challenging and non-technical, and good cardiovascular fitness is needed. This is a demanding mountain trek and not a casual walk, with Day 2 asking for 9 to 11 hours on your feet after a start before dawn at altitude. Anyone who can comfortably cover 15+ km with serious elevation in a day will manage Toubkal. Basic snow skills are needed in winter
Seasons: May to October is the dry summer season and gives most trekkers the best conditions, with dry trails, days of 15-25C at refuge height, nights of 0-5C, generally no snow above the refuge, with standard boots and layers doing the job, and long daylight. It is also the busiest season, so book early. November to April is the snow season, with snow on the upper route from around 2,800m, crampons and an ice axe compulsory, both hired in Imlil for about EUR 5/day each, temperatures capable of dropping to -20C at altitude, a steeper feel on packed snow, and availability that may be limited
Mules and porters carry the luggage, so trekkers carry a daypack only
Guiding: a licensed mountain guide is a legal requirement and checkpoints on the trail enforce it. The guides used are licensed and work in two languages
Where you sleep: a dormitory at the Toubkal mountain refuge at 3,207m, in whichever of the two refuge buildings there has space, with meals taken communally
Altitude sickness is possible above 3,000m. The two-day format moves fast and leaves little room to acclimatise, so drink plenty and keep your pace honest. Anyone worried about it should look at the 3-Day Private Mount Toubkal Trek via the Azzaden Valley, which builds in an acclimatisation day
Cancellation terms: to be confirmed by MTT operations
Frequently asked questions
How demanding is the two-day Toubkal trek?
Hard, but nothing technical. Day 1 gains 1,467m across 5 to 6 hours, and Day 2 runs 9 to 11 hours with the summit inside it. Good cardiovascular fitness is needed. Summer asks for no ropes and no climbing skill, while winter brings crampons and an ice axe into it.
Must I have trekked at altitude before?
No mountaineering background is required, though you should be a reasonably fit walker who is at ease with 15+ km and serious elevation in one day. Winter calls for basic snow skills.
What does the price cover?
The transfer, a licensed guide, the mule, a refuge dormitory bed and every meal, four of them plus water. Gear can be hired in Imlil. From EUR 125.
Is a winter ascent possible?
Yes, with conditions attached. Snow lies from November through April. Crampons and an ice axe are compulsory and can be hired for around EUR 5/day. Temperatures reach -20C. Dates are limited by conditions and safety is assessed before every departure.
What will it cost me?
From EUR 125 per person in a group of 14 to 17. A pair pays EUR 220 each and one person travelling alone pays EUR 360. Everything is covered bar personal gear and winter equipment.
Do I have to take a guide?
Yes, the law says so, and trail checkpoints check. The guides are licensed, work in two languages and know this mountain in every season.
What goes in the bag?
In summer, boots, layers, a warm fleece, a waterproof, sun protection, a headlamp and a water bottle. Winter puts thermal layers, an insulated jacket, gaiters, goggles, crampons and an ice axe on top of that. Most of it can be hired in Imlil.
Should I worry about altitude sickness?
It is possible above 3,000m. Two days is a quick profile with limited acclimatisation, so keep hydrated and hold a steady pace. If it concerns you, the 3-Day Private Mount Toubkal Trek via the Azzaden Valley adds an acclimatisation day.
Guest reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to tell others how it went.
Leave a review